Starter teeth banged up - replace?

69rangerman · Post by **69rangerman** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:27 pm

I pulled my starter tonight as I prepare to pull the engine and tranny. A few of the teeth were banged up, should I replace even though it still works?

Thanks

splavin90 · Post by **splavin90** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:31 pm

check the flywheel and see if theres teeth missing on the flywheel

i'd replace the teeth on the starter.

also, it might have been misalligned and that's why you're chomping through teeth.

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:45 pm

if its not to bad you should be alright. yes check the teeth on the flywheel to see what they look like. if there tore up replace the flywheel and the starter drive then they will both be new. the starter drive is about 10.00 last i heard

theskytoucher · Post by **theskytoucher** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:03 pm

If the teeth on the flywheel are bad you can just replace the ring with the teeth on it. I did this to mine and it worked great. BUt you have to have a torch. The ring only cost around $25 its better than replacing the flywheel IMO

kid · Post by **kid** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:08 am

I took a flywheel to NAPA's machine shop and since I bought the ring gear there they did the ring gear R&R for free.

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:37 am

hey kid that was good of them. i like stuff like that. i don't have torches or welders. i just wish i did.

69rangerman · Post by **69rangerman** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:27 am

Thanks guys,

I didn't know you could replace just drives, or teeth, or rings. Cool.
The flywheel teeth are all there but ground off some.

Is it normal to wipe your finger into the starter pocket of the bell housing and have your finger covered in what looks like oily gray paste with metallic bits in it?

The engine and tranny are coming out soon so I'll pobably go ahead with the new flywheel and starter teeth.

Tom

kid · Post by **kid** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:40 am

A little bit of gray paste and metal is okay. All teeth in that area look beat up from the forward hitting motion if they get too rough then they really chip the teeth.

A friend had a 66 Chevelle 396 TH400 that was down to three teeth when we pulled the flywheel.

On Manuals change the ring gear on Autos change the flexplate. If a machine shop was to heat up the flex plate it would warp. They don't have the jig that the factory uses to keep the flex plate from warping under the welding heat.